adidas Futurecraft 4D shoe with 3D printed midsole drops in NYC

Today, the long-awaited adidasFuturecraft 4D shoe officially lands on the market. The training shoe which features a 3D printed midsole created with Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis technology, was first unveiled last Spring and is now available exclusively at three stores in New York.

The Silicon Valley 3D printing company has also announced the appointment of Eric Liedtke, adidas’ Executive Board Member, Global Brands to its Board of Directors, further strengthening the partnership between the two.

“On behalf of Carbon’s directors and entire team, I am thrilled to welcome Eric to our Board,” said Dr. Joseph DeSimone, Carbon’s CEO and Co-founder. “Eric is an experienced and respected leader, and his track record for driving creativity and innovation at adidas makes him a valuable addition to the Board as we continue to deliver on Carbon’s growth strategy. Further, this month’s launch of FUTURECRAFT 4D is a testament to the deep and dynamic partnership between adidas and Carbon, and illustrates the power of true digital 3D Manufacturing at scale and the infinite possibilities ahead.”

“I am excited and honoured to join the Carbon Board, and look forward to contributing to the company’s vision to fundamentally change how the world designs, engineers, makes and delivers customized products at scale,” said Eric Liedtke, Executive Board Member, Global Brands at adidas. “The unparalleled work we’ve done together to make FUTURECRAFT 4D a reality is a proven example of the vital role digital 3D Manufacturing can play in opening up endless opportunities and creativity in the future.”

Development on the Futurecraft 4D shoe, which earned Carbon the first TCT Consumer Product Application Award last year, began back in 2015 with the goal of delivering 100,000 pairs by the end of 2018. Pitched as the highest volume production application for 3D manufacturing to date, the shoe harnesses Carbon’s fast printing technology and programmable resins to deliver an insole built on a library of running data. The shoes will retail at $300 at Sneakersnstuff, Packer and KITH.

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